Houseplant · Araceae
Split-leaf Philodendron
Philodendron bipinnatifidum
Warmth, even moisture, and bright indirect light are all it takes for this broad-leaved philodendron to give a room the calm of a small indoor jungle.
Bright indirect
65–85°F · 18–29°C
USDA 9–11
4–15 ft · 1.2–4.6 m
Overview
The split-leaf philodendron owes its name to the wide, deeply cut leaves that rise from a single substantial stem, and those leaves are what make it such a natural anchor for a room. A member of the arum family and native to South America, it grows there as a broad, semi-woody shrub rather than a climbing vine. Kept indoors it settles into a more contained size, though it still reads best where it has space to hold court.
Part of its appeal is how forgiving it is to live with. It asks only for warmth, bright indirect light, and soil kept evenly moist, and it takes the odd oversight in stride far better than more demanding houseplants. Over the years its lower leaves fall away and the stem thickens, so a long-kept plant carries the sculptural presence of a small tree in the corner it occupies.
There is one practical note to weigh before it joins a room: every part carries calcium oxalate crystals that sting the mouth and can irritate skin. That makes it a less easy fit for a household with pets or small children drawn to chewing leaves, and a reason to reach for gloves whenever you cut it back.
Care
The short version: set it in bright indirect light, keep it warm above 65°F (18°C), let the soil stay evenly moist without turning soggy, feed it monthly, and give it generous humidity through the growing season.
Light
Set it where it catches bright indirect light, which suits both its looks and its growth. It will live with anything from partial sun to a shadier corner, but keep it clear of harsh midday sun that scorches the leaves and away from a dim spot that leaves it thin and slow.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy, and never leave the pot standing in water. It has little patience for drought or a buildup of salts, so water on a steady rhythm and ease back through winter as its growth quiets down.
Soil
Give it a rich, moisture-holding mix that drains freely and carries plenty of organic matter. A general potting soil is all an indoor container needs, and it takes texture in stride, from clay to sand to loam and anywhere from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline.
Temperature
It keeps its best form between 65°F and 85°F (18°C to 29°C) with steady warmth the year round. Hold it above roughly 70°F (21°C) in summer and above 60°F (16°C) in winter, and bring container plants indoors well ahead of frost.
Humidity
Its tropical roots leave it happiest in high humidity. It will tolerate ordinary room air, yet the foliage looks its most polished when the moisture around it is lifted, especially through the dry months of an indoor winter.
Feeding
Feed it monthly across spring and summer while it is in active growth. A dilute water-soluble houseplant fertilizer or a slow-release feed is plenty, and restraint pays off, since a salt buildup browns the leaf tips.
Pruning
Pruning stays refreshingly minimal. Trim the yellowed, damaged, or spent lower leaves at the base and leave the rest to its own shape. Wear gloves and keep the sap off your skin, as it can cause a rash.
Repotting
Repot only once it outgrows its container, with roots circling the surface and slipping out of the drainage holes. Large, established plants need it only rarely. Move it up into a general-purpose potting soil when the moment comes.
Overwintering
Where winters bite, this plant belongs indoors before the first frost. It is dependably hardy outside only in roughly zones 9 to 11, so grow it in a container you can move and hold it above 70°F (21°C) in summer and above 60°F (16°C) in winter.
Size & spacing
Indoors it keeps to a gracious, manageable scale, yet as a landscape plant in frost-free climates it can rise to 4 to 15 feet (1.2 to 4.5 m) and spread 6 to 15 feet (1.8 to 4.5 m) across. Give it a wide, open setting, since a mature plant carries its broad leaves well out beyond the trunk.
Troubleshooting
Trouble with this plant tends to begin below the surface at the roots or announce itself first across the leaves. Catching those early cues lets you settle the cause before it spreads through the plant. Find the sign that matches yours below, then step in while there is still time to turn it around.
Soft dark roots and a plant losing its footing
Soil that stays wet and never drains invites root rot, and it can bring down even a grand old specimen. Ease the plant from its pot and read the roots: the sound ones are firm and pale, the failing ones brown, soft, and sour. Trim the dead away, resettle it in fresh free-draining mix, and water more sparingly from there.
Fix:
- Reduce watering
- Repot into fresh well-draining mix and trim away rotted roots
- Ensure the container drains freely
Lower leaves losing their color
When the lower leaves turn yellow, the usual story is overwatering or a spot that stays too dim. Let the soil surface dry a little between waterings, confirm the pot drains cleanly, and give the plant a home with brighter indirect light. Once a leaf has yellowed through, lift it away.
Fix:
- Let excess water drain and allow the soil surface to dry slightly before rewatering
- Move to a brighter spot with medium to bright indirect light
- Remove badly yellowed leaves
Stickiness, webbing, or small insects on the leaves
Dry indoor air opens the door to aphids, mealybugs, scale, thrips, and spider mites, which reveal themselves as sticky honeydew, stippled leaves, or fine webbing. Wipe a light case away by hand, then treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Keep the plant apart from its companions until it is clear.
Fix:
- Wash or wipe off light infestations
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Isolate affected plants until controlled
Leaf tips curling and browning
Curling, browning tips point to fertilizer salts collecting in the soil. Pause the feeding, then run plenty of plain water through the pot to carry the salts out the base. Return to feeding at a well-diluted rate.
Fix:
- Stop fertilizing
- Leach the soil by flushing thoroughly with water
- Resume feeding only at a dilute rate
Bleached patches where the sun lands
Pale, scorched patches on the most exposed leaves mark too much harsh direct sun. Move the plant into dappled light, part shade, or bright indirect light. If a sunnier position is the plan, bring it along slowly so the leaves can adjust.
Fix:
- Move to dappled sun, part shade, or bright indirect light
- Acclimate gradually before increasing sun exposure
Dark spotting across the foliage
Leaf spot, fungal or bacterial, settles on leaves left wet in still, stagnant air. Water at the soil line to keep the foliage dry, open up the space around the plant for better airflow, and remove the spotted leaves.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation
- Keep foliage dry when watering
- Remove affected leaves
Toxicity
For all its easy elegance, this is a plant to place with care around anything that might chew it. Every part holds insoluble calcium oxalate crystals that bring on an immediate burning of the mouth, heavy drooling, and swelling. No part is safe to eat, and even the sap can irritate skin, so wear gloves for pruning and keep it out of reach of pets and children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Toxic
A cat that bites the leaves meets an immediate burning in the mouth from the calcium oxalate crystals. Watch for heavy drooling, pawing at the face, vomiting, and difficulty swallowing. The mouth and throat may swell, and on rare occasions that swelling makes breathing difficult.
Dogs Toxic
A dog that chews any part is left drooling, gagging, and pawing at a sore mouth, with vomiting and a sudden loss of appetite close behind. The signs stay mild as a rule and pass within a day, though rare airway swelling is reason enough to call the vet.
Horses Toxic
A horse feels the same sting through the mouth and lips from the crystals, which brings on drooling and a refusal to eat. The swollen, irritated tissue keeps it off its feed until the discomfort settles.
Rabbits Toxic
The crystals scald a rabbit's mouth as they do any animal, so the plant is best kept well out of reach. Expect drooling and a rabbit that stops eating, a genuine concern in so small a grazer.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, goats, and sheep that take a bite meet the same oral burning, drooling, and swelling. Most turn away after that first bitter taste, but the plant should never grow where they graze.
Birds Toxic
A pet bird that chews the leaves feels the same irritation of the mouth and throat, with drooling and clear discomfort. Keep the plant well away from any bird free to roam and forage.
People Caution
No part of this plant is meant for the table, and biting a leaf brings a sharp burning of the mouth, lips, and tongue with swelling and drooling. Even handling it can irritate the skin, so wear gloves to prune and keep it clear of small children.
Wear gloves when pruning; the sap can cause skin irritation/contact dermatitis. Keep out of reach of pets and children
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Named forms are scarce here, but one compact cultivar turns up often enough to earn a place in the conversation.
'Lundii'
'Lundii' is a more compact selloum that keeps to a smaller, tidier stature than the species, which makes it an easy fit for a tighter room.
How to propagate
Building your collection is simple when you divide off the offsets, and worth the effort by seed only when no gentler route remains.
DivisionEasy
Spring to summer during active growth · Several weeks to a few months
The gentlest way to make more is to lift the small offshoots that gather around the base of a parent plant. Take them in spring or summer during active growth, and settle each one into its own pot. The divisions want several weeks to a few months to root and find their feet.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Any season, best under warm growing conditions · A few weeks to root
A stem cutting or an air-layered stem is another option, workable in any season but most willing in warm conditions, with a cutting needing a few weeks to root. The tree and selloum types are less inclined to root than the climbing philodendrons, so this path is the less certain one here.
SeedDemanding
When fresh seed is available · Slow and variable
Seed is possible, though it rarely earns its keep at home. Viability falls away quickly unless the seed has been properly processed and vacuum-packed, and the seedlings come along slowly and unevenly. Keep it in reserve for the rare moment fresh seed appears and the simpler routes are closed.
Myths
Split-leaf philodendron and Monstera deliciosa are one plant.
The two belong to separate genera, for all that they share the arum family. The name split-leaf philodendron lands on Monstera deliciosa constantly, yet a closer look sets them apart. Monstera opens holes in its mature leaves, while this philodendron keeps deeply cut leaves with no holes and grows a stout, trunk-like stem.
The plant's place in the genus Thaumatophyllum is a closed case.
A 2018 study drew a group of philodendrons out into the genus Thaumatophyllum, and some databases now record it as Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum. Kew's Plants of the World Online still treats that name as a synonym and keeps Philodendron bipinnatifidum as the accepted one, so the matter is far from closed.
Sources
- Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
- Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- University of Florida IFAS Extension (EDIS FPS473)
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Pet Poison Helpline
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder